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No matter what type of home you live in, it’s important to keep it secure and safe. You want to feel safe in your own home and protect it from potential break-ins. Protecting your family is of utmost importance with your valuables as a second. If there’s one place you should feel safe in this world, it is in your own home. Consider these common-sense condo security and safety tips for homeowners.

How to Keep a Condo Secure

Depending on what kind of housing you live in, you will want to keep different safety tips in mind. The way you protect yourself is different whether you live in an apartment, detached house or a condo. Think about the special concerns you may have when a condo is your home.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

When it comes to keeping yourself and your family safe, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. This pertains to whether you’re out in the world or at your own residence. You should always be aware of what is going on around you as well as the people that are around you. It’s important to take a defensive approach. This is so you will notice anything suspicious in your surroundings.

Meet Your Neighbors and Get to Know Them

When living in a condo, you should also meet your neighbors. By noticing what and who is usually in your condo complex, you will more easily notice when things are different or when something is wrong. These people are also a great base for a neighborhood watch. By knowing the different people and getting them involved in the safety of your condo complex, you will have that many more eyes to notice any suspicious people or behavior. This will help you be as well as feel more secure in your own home.

Know the Stairwells and Fire Exit Locations

Another way to keep yourself and your family safe is to know where the fire exits and stairwells are located. This will help assure that you know where to go in an emergency. You don’t want to waste valuable time searches for these exits in the case of a fire or other emergency. You need to know how to get out and get your family to safety as quickly as possible.

Locks and Other Condo Security Measures

Work with a Seattle locksmith to get quality locks installed and find out about other security measures, such as access systems and condo alarms. Consider these simple ways to keep your condo safer.

Always Lock Your Doors

This tip is relevant to any living situation that you have, including condo-living. When you’re away as well as when you’re home, you should lock your doors. If someone tries to enter, you will have additional precious time to figure out what you should do and call for help. If you have a dog, this will also give your pet time to react and deter potential burglars. Many burglars will turn back if there is a dog in the mix. They don’t want to risk a run in with an animal that can hurt them.

Secure Entrances and Exits

When you enter or leave your parking garage, this is the best time for someone to sneak into the building. Always make sure that the gate closes behind you. This will prevent people from being able to sneak in easily. You also don’t want to let people you don’t know into common areas of the building. Even if you think you’re being rude, you don’t want to let someone in you don’t know. This is another great reason why you should know your neighbors. You can explain to them why you’re not letting them in and just ask that they reach out to who they are visiting. You don’t want to be responsible for letting a possible threat into the building. Don’t hold doors for people you don’t know.

Secure Your Own Door

A great way to secure your own door is by having a peephole to see who is there before letting anyone in. You don’t want to open the door for anyone that you don’t know. If your condo door doesn’t have a peephole, you should consider adding one to increase your safety. The same should be considered for a deadbolt. A deadbolt will add much security to your home. They are pretty inexpensive as well as easy to install. Also, make sure that you have efficient locks on all of your windows.

Take Precautions When You First Move In

When you first move into your condo, make sure that the locks have been changed. You don’t want a previous tenant to have access to your new home. It’s also important to keep track of any copies that you make of your keys. You should also not put your full name on your mailbox. If your full name is listed, unwanted visitors may use it to try to get your neighbors to let them in. Instead, put your initials on your mailbox.

Keeping your condo safe is a top priority. The community can work together as well as individually with a locksmith to create a secure environment. The peace of mind is invaluable.